Friendship and Stars
by InzanityFirez
Summary: With the threat of the Promised Day looming, a troubled Edward goes star-gazing and finds himself stuck with the company of a persistent homunculus. With Ling's help, the interaction is an enlightening one. Friendship fic.


**So, originally this was going to have a little flashback with Wee-Elrics and Trisha, but I wrote it out to the length of a snippet story itself and posted it under 'Family Worth Fighting For'. So, if you want elaboration, read that story too. But otherwise, this is a stand-alone. XD EdwardxGreeling star-gazing, set after Edward teams up with Greed in Brotherhood.**

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"That look on your face is kinda freaking me out."

Edward nearly slid off the rooftop in his sudden surprise as he jerked towards the voice and righted himself. Edward, Greed, and their chimeran comrades had passed through a small town bordered around by a forest and vast landscape. That being the case, there wasn't a mess of city lights to block the night-sky view and he'd taken advantage of the opportunity to climb the hotel roof and do some thinking. Or at least, that's what he _had_ been doing, until a certain homunculus' interruption. "What?"

Greeling regarded Edward's flailing with a faintly lifted brow before he hopped over the midway of the roof to sit beside the young alchemist. "The look on your face. It's creepy when you're quiet."

"I was thinking, stupid."

"Now there's a novel concept."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "You tryin' to pick a fight?"

Greed held up his hands in mock-surrender. "Not at all, kiddo. Like I said, you just looked creepy. I'm just so used to you being all loud-mouthed and grumpy." he explained innocently, grinning all the while.

"Maybe I should be, hanging around with a jerk like you all day." Edward retorted, choosing to ignore the 'kiddo' comment.

Greed snorted. "Consider yourself lucky that I grace you with my presence."

"I don't think 'lucky' is the word."

"You're right...blessed would be more accurate." Greed's grin widened, and Ling rolled his eyes from his residence in their mind.

_"I swear, the nonsense that comes out of my mouth thanks to you..." _

_"Don't start, brat." _ Greed advised, with no real venom. Just as with his current bantering with Edward, it was all in fun and that was something he'd come to enjoy. His fellow homunculi had always been condescending to him, even when he'd been part of their little daddy-squad. And as for humans who knew of him, they feared him and wanted him dead. He'd had his group of chimeras, and they'd shared camaraderie and all, but this was different. Edward and Ling were disrespectful, blunt, and treated him just like they'd treat anyone else. The chimeras had regarded Greed as their leader and been somewhat reverent to him. Edward and Ling...they were just bratty kids...and it was strangely...pretty damned nice.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Greed chuckled and silence descended between them a moment as Greed settled into a more relaxed posture and gazed at the dimly lit town before them and then up at the sky. Greed's voice was less playful and a little more serious as he asked. "What were you thinking about anyway?"

Edward paused as his gaze turned outwards too and he considered his answer. Finally he shrugged. "Nothing important. It's just the stars."

"Huh?"

Edward hesitated and he eyed Greed a moment while he gauged the potential that he'd be mocked if he answered honestly. "Al and I...and...my Mom...we used to star-gaze. She'd tell us stories about the constellations, and I was thinking about the Celestial Maiden."

Greed had seemed perplexed since the moment Edward mentioned star-gazing. Seemed like a boring thing to do, in his opinion. "You lost me."

Edward shook his head. "Nevermind, it doesn't matter."

"No, no, enlighten me. Maidens are always nice." Greed grinned lasicviously and Edward rolled his eyes again. In all honesty, Greed wasn't interested in stories about stars, but at the same time he was Greed after all. He wanted to assuage the bit of curiosity the new concept he piqued and also...it just _felt _right. Edward was sharing something with him, and he wasn't sure why the Hell Edward bothered, but it was interesting. He'd humor the kid, why not? He'd been bored stiff anyway.

Edward eyed him again and Greed grinned encouragingly in response before Edward shifted uncomfortably and went ahead. "Long story short, an angel falls from Heaven and loses the robes that let her go home. She gets hitched to a human and has a family, and ends up finding her robes. She goes back to Heaven and leaves her family behind, but gets so sad about it she abandons being an angel to become stars and watch over them."

Greed's expression was mildly taken aback and even Ling was confused. "Uh...that's...no, I can't lie. That's the stupidest damn story I've ever heard." he announced. He had to be honest. "Is that supposed to make humans happy or something?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair, he'd known he shouldn't have said anything. Greed wouldn't understand. "That's not the point." Greed gave him an expectant expression and Edward scowled as he realized that the homunculs expected an explanation. But after a moment, his expression softened as he chuckled to himself. "Yeah...I thought it was a stupid story too, to be honest."

"So...you were thinking about a stupid story?" Greed supplied.

"No!" Edward tried not to be annoyed since he noted that Greed seemed more puzzled than mocking. "Just something my Mom said." he muttered. He didn't like to talk about her, or rather, it just reminded him of all the reasons that he missed her. Edward wasn't sure why he was even telling Greed, and Ling for that matter, but he'd been apart from his brother and his situation had loomed on him long enough. He figured he just needed to let a little tension out. "She used soldiers as an analogy. She pointed out that people have things they need to fight for, even if it's hard. That's how humans coexist. The angel gave up her family to do her duty in Heaven and then she waited for her family anyway. There are hard choices we have to make, right or wrong, and that's how we live. We do our best and try to keep on. All the bad things in life make all the good things that much sweeter, things like your family, and that's worth fighting for." Edward's cheeks darkened a bit pink then as he found Greed staring at him, and his own honest words embarrassed him a bit. "Something like that." he mumbled.

Greed and Ling were silent a moment, and although Edward couldn't hear it, Ling spoke first.

_"That's an interesting way of looking at it." Ling mused. _

Greed snorted internally. _"What? Saying life sucks so you should be happy when it doesn't? What kinda crap is that?" _

_"Saying life is hard but there are reasons to keep fighting, reasons that make life worth living. Reasons that necessitate sacrifice and allow us to grow and exist with others. As the personification of greed, you should understand that more than anyone." _

_"How do you figure?" _

_"You must want to live right? But why? Not just because there are possessions that you want, right? If that's all you cared about, you'd still be with that 'Father' person. But you're here with us because you want more. You want those things which make life worth living,which make it worth fighting for with every breath in your body." _

_"...You don't know what you're talking about, brat. I'm Greed. What I have is all that matters, all this stuff about motivation...I want, so I get. That's all I need to live for. Getting whatever I want, any way I want to get it." _

_"If you really believe that, then I feel sorry for you." Ling said genuinely. "That's a sad way to live." _

Greed was taken aback and then infuriated. This...this _human_ felt sorry for _him_? What the Hell did he know! _"You're one confused little prince." _ was the homunculus' only retort before he pulled away from paying attention to the Xingese prince and focused on Edward. He'd apparently spoken to Ling long enough for Edward to take notice, because the alchemist was regarding him with a lifted brow.

"You awake, Greed?"

Greed stared a moment before he let a slow grin curve his features. "Yup. Just trying to figure out how someone so..occasionally capable of talent can be so lame." he shrugged and sighed dramatically.

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Who are you calling lame, you body-snatcher!"

"Is that supposed to be an insult? Because I'm definitely okay with stealing." Greed grinned belligerently.

_"You know, you could try and be a little nicer." Ling suggested._

_"And why would I do that?" _ Greed shot back.

_"I'm going to go ahead and guess that given what Edward tried to do to get her back, he must have loved his mother very much. He doesn't speak of his past, so for him to share a memory like that with you...it's an important thing even if he doesn't act like it." _

_"Hey, he said it, not my problem. I don't owe him anything for it." _

_Ling sighed. "It's not about 'oweing', Greed. You're comrades, you're his leader, right? So if he comes to you for guidance or when he's maybe feeling..lonely, isn't it your job to relieve his worries a bit?" _

_"Lonely? He didn't say anything about being lonely. Or needing a guide. What are you even talking about?" _

_It was like trying to explain rain to someone who lived in a desert, how it felt, how it tasted, it was something that experience taught better than an explanation. But Ling couldn't force an experience on Greed, so he did his best. "I know he's missing his brother, for starters. And for another thing, everything that's familiar to him is gone at the moment, we're all he's got. I don't doubt that he's very worried about what's going to happen next, and about that brother of his. Edward won't say any of this, he never asks for help with his burdens, but he's also more obvious than he realizes. At the end of the day, he's still only a child, for all that he tries not to be." _

_"You're a kid too, moron." _ Greed pointed out, and Ling merely smiled in reply as he gave a chance for his words to sink in. And despite himself, Greed did consider those words and those that he had exchanged with Edward. As for being 'comrades', that was kind of another way of saying 'friends', wasn't it? And he _was_ the leader of their little group, and a leader was supposed to take care of his underlings.

_"Why don't you come with us, since you have nowhere else to go?" _

The memory of Edward's invitation had lingered in Greed's mind. Just like that he'd offered, like he was just another person and not a homunculus. Like he saw them as equals, not like Greed was somehow tainted. Edward had extended him a hand, not because he needed Greed's power, per se, but because that was the sort of person that he was. For a tough-talking, cynical, faithless brat, he had plenty of faith in people, even ones that other people might call a 'monster'. And Ling, damn the brat, was right. Edward had an annoying knack for self-sacrifice and trying to carry the world on his way-too-small shoulders.

Edward was partially glaring at him, and Greed finally let his lips relax into something almost like a smile as he slipped an arm around Edward's shoulder and gave it a bit of a squeeze. Edward looked mildly horrified as he jerked away. "What the Hell are you doing, pervert?"

Greed kept his grip on Edward and tugged the boy back towards him a bit, although he kept their bodies apart. "What you said. I think I kinda get it. Still think it's kinda stupid. But...I get it."

Edward stilled and regarded Greed somewhat suspiciously. "Is that right?" His skepticism was clear.

Greed huffed as though offended, but his eyes were light as he shrugged. "If you get everything you want without any fight, that's just boring. Part of the fun is in the challenge. And there are some things that are...worth putting up a real fight."

Edward blinked in surprise, the interpretation was a bit Greed-edited, but not inaccurate. "So what are you fighting for, Greed?" he asked with a little smirk. He was ready to hear some cocky-answer he could make a snarky rebuttal to. But Greed ended up surprising him again.

"Myself, of course. And everything my shiny red heart desires." Greed announced before he slipped his hand from Edward's shoulder to pat the other and the back and give his shoulder a squeeze. "Of course, I fight for my possessions too. I'd be a crappy leader if I didn't fight for you."

"I'm not your possession, dumbass."

Greed grinned as he leaned in close and leered smugly. "The Hell you aren't. Someone has to take care of your scrawny ass, so count yourself lucky I have a soft spot for bratty runts like you."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT, DAMNIT!" Edward demanded as he glowered at Greed.

"Uh...you?"

"I am not short!" Edward hissed.

"Don't worry, Ed." Greed ruffled Edward's hair suddenly, and Edward's expression softened into surprise. Greed was certainly pleased to invade his personal space that night, it seemed. And Greed had called _him_ creepy. "Even if you are grumpy as Hell, we're not going anywhere."

Edward blinked as he considered the many meanings in that statement. For starters, he was referring to himself and Ling meaning that the Xingese prince shared the sentiment. And for another, Greed was reassuring him and...comforting him? "I wouldn't care if you did." he replied stubbornly.

"Suuuuuuure. You wouldn't cry like a little girl or anything."

"And what about you? I'm the only friend you've got." Edward retorted without much thought, but once the words were out, he couldn't very well retract them and was forced to face what he'd admitted. Greed seemed genuinely surprised and Edward was surprised at himself as well. True, he'd felt sorry for the abandoned homunculus, but he'd needed his power too and his strength as an ally. But he realized he really considered the other a friend.

Greed stared hard at Edward a moment, and uncomfortable, he muttered. "I'm going to bed." he rose and started to head off, but Greed had risen as well and caught him by the wrist.

"I didn't ask for your friendship." Greed said seriously.

Edward considered making a cutting reply, but Greed seemed genuine in his discomfort and he softened. "You didn't have to." he tugged his wrist away before he paused and then punched Greed's shoulder with a light grin. "Someone's gotta take care of your ugly ass." he repeated Greed's words with an adjustment to stab at the other's physical vanity.

It was Greed's turn to blink in surprise before he cuffed Edward's ear.

"Hey!"

"Go to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. If you pass out, I'm leaving you behind." Greed announced.

"Screw you."

"No thanks, kiddo, I like women."

Edward flushed as the other twisted his words. "Bastard." he grumbled.

Greed grinned. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." he repeated Edward's own words to be a smart ass, and was pleased when Edward glowered. He then ushered the other towards the edge of the roof, so that he could get back down to the balcony below. Edward scowled as he prepared to dismiss Greed for the rest of the evening and he hopped down and turned to go in, and stopped as Greed hung over the edge of the roof and spoke.

"Ling told me to say you're not alone. You've got people who think you're worth fighting for, so cheer the Hell up."

"Ling said that?" Edward seemed incredulous at the phrasing, but that Greed might have said it didn't even cross his mind. Edward chuckled then. "Tell him he's sappy. And thanks." With that, Edward made his way inside before the conversation could get any weirder than it already had. And before the warmth in his heart blossomed any further and made him say something stupid and sappy too. Even so, Edward hadn't felt that lightness in his heart in awhile, and the weight on his shoulders didn't seem quite so heavy.

"Worth fighting for, huh?" Edward murmured, and he smiled slightly. "I can live with that."

...

_"Not that I disagree with the sentiment, but why exactly did you tell Ed I said those things?" _

_"You did. I just put it in better words." _

_"I thought you didn't lie, Greed." _

_"Who's lying? You're the one who said all that stuff about him being lonely and needing my amazing self. You're the sap here." _

_"You think Ed's worth fighting for." Ling mused, ignoring Greed's attempt to disguise his now proven affection for the eldest Elric boy. "And admit it, you were happy when he called you his friend, weren't you? That's what you wanted all along." _

_"You're insane, you know that?" _

_"Just in case you didn't realize, we're friends too." _

_"Huh? ...You mean you and Ed?" _

_"Well, yes, but you and I too." _

Greed was at a momentary loss for words. Ling's blunt sincerity and his odd thinking was just...just...

_"Like I told the kid, I didn't ask for friendship, alright?" _

_"And like he said, you didn't have to." _

Greed's jaw was slightly slack and he righted himself quickly as he realized it. "Both of you are insane. I'm surrounded by crazies."

_"And you're the worst of them all, since you actually enjoy this." _ _Ling replied cheerfully. _

Greed groaned. "Just my luck...I had to get stuck with you lot."

_"You can always find another body." _

"Are you kidding? I've already jazzed this one up and everything." he tugged on his all-black attire as proof. "Your body, and you, are mine." Greed said smugly.

_"I'm okay with that. Just don't be too reckless, okay? We don't want to give poor Ed a heart attack." _

Greed had expected the reminder of Ling's position to upset him, but Ling was only calm. What was it about the two brats that made them so...so infuriatingly...

"Ugh...doesn't make any sense.." he muttered as he laid down on the roof and tilted his gaze up at the stars with a frown.

_"Hmm?"_

"...Hey, you know any star stories?"

_"Star stories? You mean like Edward's? Didn't you think that it was stupid?" _

"I'm bored out of my mind. I'll take any form of entertainment about now." Greed drawled, but Ling knew better. He could tell that the night had shaken up Greed, and that for all that he might have wanted friendship [little that he would admit it] Greed didn't expect that he would be given it.

_Ling chuckled to himself. "Well, there is the Great Dragon, you see, he..." _

By the time the sun rose, all talk of friendships and stars had ceased, but the unspoken truth lay between them. And for them all, the sun seemed just a little bit brighter.

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**I'm so asleep right now and work in a few hours...x-x XD But I forced myself to finish. Hopefully it all makes sense and reads right and such. XD Leave me verbal hugs to feed my soul and whatnot. Enjoy! -Witchy~ **


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